Sermonette: Dec. 5, 2022

Where are you in your life as we begin this Advent liturgical season? Does your life resemble more the Three Wise Men seeking the Lord because they recognize that they are lacking something in their lives that only Jesus can fulfill? Or maybe King Herod, who viewed the coming of Christ as such a threat to his comfortable existence that he used all means at his disposal to eliminate Jesus? The key difference is dependent upon whether you seek Jesus as your Savior or as an obstacle in your life.

During this time of the year, we are given the opportunity to hear multiple scripture passages from the Old Testament during our liturgical celebrations. The unique feature we as Christians enjoy that other faiths do not have is that there were multiple prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah centuries before Jesus was born. And those prophecies were revealed to a chosen people that never recognized Him while He was alive or even after He died. What makes the story of Jesus as the Messiah so compelling is that the Old Testament not only contains so many prophecies of His coming, but multiple "types" (similar characters and/or events from the Old that lead us to the New Testament). Examples include Isaac carrying the wood for the sacrifice on his back and Joseph being sold by his brothers for twenty pieces of silver and later bringing salvation for his brothers.

When we spend our time more attentively during this Advent season, we see and hear what Jesus shared with the two disciples on their way to Emmaus on Easter Sunday. And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures. Luke 24:25-27. Jesus was not only foretold in the Old Testament, but He himself revealed to his disciples how he fulfilled all of the prophecies about Him. The season of Advent allows us time to reflect on all of this.

If we find ourselves overwhelmed and consumed by the demands of daily life and in need of a Messiah to get us through, we resemble the Wise Men who traveled great distances to seek the new born King and offer Him homage.

In contrast, if we believe we need no one. We are self made. We are independent. We want to do it "my way," we might not be actively seeking Jesus during this Advent season. We may be tempted to view Christmas as a burden that we simply want to get through so we can get back to normal. If we do so, our lives begin to resemble King Herod who feigned interest to offer homage to the new born King, but only did so that he might eliminate Him.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.” Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled.

“Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod realized that the magi had deceived him, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi." Matthew 2:1-16.

Instead of observing the prophecies regarding the Messiah as a source of comfort and hope, King Herod viewed Jesus as a threat to his kingship. How about us? Is Jesus a threat to our egos or self-centeredness? If so, we may be tempted to want to eliminate Him from our lives, too. Jesus speaks a message of charity, self-giving, and self-sacrifice. In fact, His very mission to earth was to offer examples for us to follow while at the same time the salvation of humanity. These concepts are burdensome if we have no desire to seek the Lord during this Advent season.

Again, the question is where are you during this Advent season? Are you seeking the Lord like the Wise Men, who while were quite wealthy recognized something was missing in their lives and they were willing to travel great distances to find it? Or, are you like King Herod, quite satisfied with your life and not recognizing that anything is missing?